Daughter Reconnects with the Mother She Never Knew Through Photography

PetaPixel

Photographer Rachel Elizabeth Seed never got to meet her mother. Also a photographer, her mother Sheila passed away when Seed was only 18 months old, and now she’s on a quest to reconnect with her all these years later by creating the documentary film A Photographic Memory.

The idea came to her when she discovered a few boxes of short films directed and filmed by her mother at her father’s house. The films were about photographic icons — Henri-Cartier Bresson, Cornell Capa, Lisette Model, W. Eugene Smith and more — all of them interviewed by Sheila.

That discovery inspired Seed to retrace her mother’s history and get to know her better through the people she interviewed. Now, a ton of traveling, filming and tens of thousands of dollars later, her and her team have turned to the Internet to ask for the funding necessary to finish the documentary:

The Kickstarter campaign is 10 days away from completion and only about $1,500 away from reaching their initial $25,000 goal. That money will allow them to finish filming and move the documentary into post-production. If they’re lucky enough to reach their stretch goal of $35,000, they’ll move into post-production in earnest and (hopefully) make the movie a reality that much sooner.

Pledge levels range from $10 for a digital download of the movie poster to $10,000 for an executive producer credit, two VIP tickets to the premier, dinner with the director and a private photo shoot of your choice. There’s also plenty of levels in between for those who would like a limited edition film still shot in the 1940s ($150) or a signed limited edition archival pigment print by Seed herself ($250).

The story is touching, and already 328 people have pledged their funds to seeing it become a reality. If you want to join their ranks or learn more about the campaign and Seed’s search for her mother, head over to the Kickstarter page by clicking here.